Notes: [2] höfðu ‘had’: The past
tense is generally used in this section to refer to sinners’ lives on earth,
though see 61/2. — [4] hrafnar heljar ‘Hell’s ravens’: These ravens may be associated with the pagan goddess of death, Hel (although
Óðinn was traditionally the owner of ravens; cf. Tate 1985, 1032), as well as
with the Christian realm of punishment; see Note to 38/4. — [6] slitu sjónir ‘tore the eyes (out)’: In Fj 45/1-3 Svipdagr is threatened with having his eyes pecked out by ravens as a punishment for lying: horskir hrafnar | skulu þér á hám gálga | slíta sjónir úr | ef þú þat lýgr ‘wise ravens shall, on high gallows, tear out your eyes if you are lying about that’.